A Universal Tongue

August 14th, 2005

in the Dreaming, Wandjina attacks the people in Heaven, but finds that they have grown more powerful than even he could have imagined. Instead of easily casting them back to the land, he is only able to throw them back from the natives that they have been oppressing.

in 1880, the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, after 632 years of construction, was finally rebuilt. A rare earthquake that day completely leveled it. The people of Cologne got the hint, and didn’t try to rebuild again.

en 1910, la 6th ciujara konferenco en Esperanto estis en Washington, D.C. La lingvo universala estas paroli cxie, nu.

in 1945, musician Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas. Martin learned the banjo at an early age, and played it in festivals around his native state, often winning prizes. This led him to the music industry’s attention, and at the tender age of 17, Martin made his first album. He is the country’s premier banjo player to this day.

in 1965, romance novelist R. Armour Taylor is born in Bryan, Texas. Second only to Barbara Cartland in his prolific output, Taylor achieved fame with the movie version of his novel Inventor of Love, the story of Thomas Edison’s love child, Carla Lambert.

in 1965, Comrade Bob Taylor was born in Bryan, Texas Soviet. Comrade Taylor was an agitant for political change in the troubled turn of the century, and advocated allowing the People’s Republic of America to keep its independence from the Soviet States of America.

in 1994, international terrorist Carlos the Jackal was captured in Sudan. The next day, while being extradited to France, he escaped, killing 2 Sudanese guards and 1 French officer. He remains at large to this day.

in 1996, Dr. Melvin Courtney speaks with noted parapsychologist Brian Acevedo and asks to appear on his BBC television show. With all the hubbub that Dr. Courtney has caused, Acevedo is thrilled to agree, and schedules the good doctor in for the live show that Friday.

in 2000, while their host Li Huang-Sen is gone, Mikhail von Heflin and Velma Porter spend a pleasant day in Shanghai. That night, though, Li returns to his mansion looking distraught. “I’m afraid I need your help again, Baron,” he says to von Heflin.

in 2004, a distress signal from the Lalandian ship makes it to earth. It contains a picture of one of the Elders, who looks like a creature of pure energy. The crew of the ship fight against it, but the video of their last moments is a painful tale of a lost cause. The shocked world redoubles its efforts on Dr. Emilio Carrera’s cloaking devices.


An alternate birthday wish - last day!

Your humble alternate historian is about to leave the pleasant decade of the 30's behind and enter into the downhill slope of the 40's on August 14th. Before he does, he would like one simple wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this birthday wish!

Thanks to everyone for their generosity!

We have raised a lot from your donations, for which we are VERY grateful! Our situation is no longer as dire, so we don't need to beg for help - thanks so much! Because we like including our readers into the site, though, we will still keep our offer open - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

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Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy